The Shift
by Chip Bell
Summary: Pete and Jim wake up in a new world and have to face pulling a shift as sandmen in the City of Domes.


Logans Run X Adam-12

What if Reed and Malloy woke up in the city of domes as sandmen?

Pete Malloy was dreaming. He was riding a paint horse across a green plane. Ahead was a gray wall that stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction above to the sky and to the east and west. The horse galloped toward the wall faster and faster so that Pete was sure that it was going to run right into it. However the wall did not seem to be solid, more of a compressed mist. The horse galloped toward the wall and it loomed ahead.

Pete awoke tangled in a bed sheet covered in sweat. The air smelled of vanilla perfume and soft music played. He didn't recognize the tune but it was very soothing. He opened his eyes; he didn't recognize the room. It was attractively furnished but strange. The floor bore a polish like a mirror and showed no wear whatsoever. He stepped out of the bed throwing off the black satin like sheet which seemed to crawl or somehow slowly unfold to cover the bed in a perfect rectangle. Pete shook his head and took a deep breath. What on earth was this? How? News! Where was the TV? He fumbled around and found what looked like one of the new TV remotes. Unable to find a TV set he pointed it in various directions hoping one was somewhere and would come on. Pete had no idea how a TV remote actually worked , his TV didn't even have one. He pointed the thing at a wall and a pattern formed. A distorted pattern swirled about as if tuning something in. Was this their idea of a TV? The image began to congeal into the form of a woman. She stood there nearly naked smiling back at him. Hello ms he said half astonished half embarrassed. A Sandman she said as she stepped off the platform and put an arm around his shoulder. I can't believe my luck. She grabbed Pete and kissed him. Pete pushed her off gently and laughed. Ah .. look I didn't mean to .. that thing, I pushed the wrong button. The woman looked somewhat hurt. I see.. Don't you know how to use the circuit? Are you asexual? That happens sometimes, here, she took the remote from Pete and began explaining about the circuit. Ahh… wow.. thank you very much miss. My pleasure. I'm on a lot you know? About this time you can tune me in if you want… I've never been with a Sandman before! Pete was going to ask her what a sandman was but thought better of it. Where in all of the universe was this place? A melodic if somewhat mechanical voice came over a speaker somewhere in the dwelling. Peter 8, report to headquarters, you now have 12 minutes remaining till your shift. "Ahh , right" shouted Pete "I'm coming !" Pete was wearing only a pair of black briefs which he stepped out of and began looking for his clothes. In a closet, hung a strange outfit consisting of a black shirt with a broad grey stripe across it and a grey color and a pair of black tights and very form fitting black boots. No time to argue if he wanted to survive here. He quickly struggled into the outfit and spied a utility belt hanging on a hook. The strangest gun he had ever seen hung in a holster that amounted to little more than a v shaped hook. He took the funny looking gun out of the holster and stared at it incredulously. He was beginning to get the impression of some sort of police equipment or something like that any way. He caught sight then of something on his hand and lifted it to examine it. There on his palm was a kind of red crystal he looked at it, it was literally embedded in the flesh o f his hand. He picked at it a little but it was in there to stay whatever it was.

He opened the door and stepped into the hall way. The light outside was odd not as bright as it should have been. He looked up to ward the sky but could only see a grayish expanse that stretched from horizon to horizon. Not sky, not fog, not anything he could make out. He looked down a corridor which lead between high walls to see Jim Reed running toward him in the same outfit. Pete! What happened? Look at this place! He lowered his voice, "Do you have any idea where we are?" No I don't partner, but if we want to survive we better play along till we can get out of here. They spied two other people in the same outfit heading toward a kind of glass tunnel with a small car. The other two looked at them and smiled. Peter and James! "Ready for another day"? One was rather tall and the other one about average build. "Ya, I'm ready" said Pete. Jim Reed took a deep breath and exhaled quickly, as the two left in a little glass car and another pulled up and opened up for them. As soon as they entered it the top closed up and it began to move. It shot along a glass tube to a tall building. Jim and Pete got out and followed a number of black clad sandmen up the steps. What do you suppose we are supposed to do in there Pete? Just follow what everyone else does Jim , that's the best we can do. The sandmen crowded into a room and waited as they went into a room. When it was Pete's turn he entered and a cylinder came down from the ceiling. Approach and Identify a voice said. Pete walked up to the booth and looked inside. I identify Peter 8. A cone shaped device protruded from the middle of the table inside the cylinder. It contained a small crystal like the one in his palm. Pete paused for a second then he placed the crystal in his palm over the device hoping that was correct. Peter 8 you will patrol arcade with James 3. Pete felt a little sick from stress at this point. He was getting tired of trying to figure this out, tired of being here instead of home and tired of wondering if he would be killed for something or other before the day was through. Two sand men came into the outer room laughing. Did you see that runner? The other one laughed which half or her? The other one roared with laughter. Our shots crossed right in her belly! I've never blown a runner in half like that! Their laughter trailed off as they left for another room.

"I wonder what a runner is Pete? Someone breaking some law or other I take it but for a cop to laugh like that… It's a little sick" said Jim. "Ya that fits all right" said Pete ruefully.

Pete and Jim left the building hoping to covertly figure out where Arcade was. Pete, look at this. Jim held up the little box from his utility belt. There was a little screen on the front with some text. This thing has all kind of information on it Pete. Pete looked at the little device. Reed touched the screen and the text scrolled up as he drug his finger up the screen. You might have just saved both our hides partner. How did you get that text to show? I was talking to myself and holding this thing in my hand. I said where is this Arcade any way and all this writing appeared along with a map, "look" Read drug the text down with his finger revealing a map at the top. They hid out in Arcade hoping not to find anyone doing anything wrong as they spent the next two hours interrogating the little devices. We're century's in the future, Reed. Something went wrong somewhere we shouldn't be here. I don't think this is our future Pete. I've been reading history on this thing. Martin Luther King was never assassinated; we never went to war in Vietnam. The history is close but it's not the history we know. So this place is not the earth we know either. We fell into some kind of hole Reed, I can't explain it but I had this dream. "Were not in our time and not on our earth either are we?" said Jim Reed. No were not, but I do know what happened here, nuclear war, This city is under domes to protect it. I read it Pete the runners the whole bit. Not a bad way of life if you don't want to see 31. But you're over 30 Pete. I know Reed but I don't even belong here at all maybe the computer doesn't even know I exist. Or I do exist! I exist in this universe too only I've replaced me? Could that be? You mean there are two psycho sandmen back in LA in our universe? Maybe, or who knows where they went, but we have to hope that whatever happened isn't permanent or maybe there is a way to reverse it.

Deep beneath the city of domes a technical crew worked in the secret experimental section. Here only selected citizens were allowed. The finest minds of the city bread and selected from an embryo to be in the city's black ops section. They lived in secret and worked in secret, reporting only to the council. Mark 3 stood in front of the giant porthole in the darkened room. Green lights flashed along the far wall repeating the same sequence as the thinker calculated the possibilities. William 12 joined Veronica 3 . It does work doesn't it? Yes, every possible universe exists out there, all possibilities exist, In some, the city does not exist, in others it was never completed and all life was wiped off the earth. In some universes, earth is still in the dark ages, and in others still technology is advanced even beyond our own. When will we began another test? In 5 hours.

Jim and Pete crept out of the shadows to make it look like they were patrolling. Jim got a note on his follower about a fight in new you 483 and he and Pete hurried to investigate. When they got there they found the mangled remains of a man on a table with a strange machine sawing him into hamburger. Pete drew the odd gun from his holster. Hold on Reed I got to stop this thing . He aimed at the head of the apparatus and pressed the trigger. The gun made a fa-woof sound and flame shot from the parameter of the barrel as the cutting machine blew into a thousand pieces. Jim looked at the mans body and felt a little sick. What could cut a man up like that Pete? I don't know Jim. They spied a young woman running off into the crowd. Pete thought about chasing her but thought better of it. He wondered if a sand man could get fired then thought he probably got shot instead. He felt the barrel of the gun , it was slightly warm. The little device beeped again and a message came over it about a gang of runners hiding in the lower levels. All sandmen in the area were directed to go there, maze cars were to be dispatched. Pete and Jim ran for the nearest maze car stop and entered a car. I don't know about shooting someone for being over 30 Pete. There has got to be a way to miss, make it look like we tried. They were whisked to the location and disembarked. Sandmen were setting up charges to blast an old wall even as large robots trailed in behind them with construction materials. Look at that Pete. Robots ready to rebuild the wall were blasting down. No one in this city seems to work much. The city can probably practically rebuild it's self from what I'm seeing here. They probably have robots that can build robots. Suddenly a defining explosion ripped the wall apart and sandmen flooded into the room beyond. It was cavernous with pipes running in the ceiling and equipment everywhere. The sandmen started a coordinated attack blasting everyone in site with fanatical precision. Pete and Jim fired blindly trying hard not to hit anyone. The guns had no recoil and seemed to never run out of energy. They fired something that reminded Pete of a weird article he had read in a magazine once about ball lightening. Crackling balls of some sort of charged plasma. Hard to describe really, but when it hit, the results were sickening to watch. Worse than a sawed off shot gun, burning its way into gaping eaten holes in the flesh and bones spreading and burning like acid fire. Pete winced as he fired again bringing down some bricks, no wonder the runners ran.

Below the city Veronica 3 adjusted the controls for the next opening of the brane. The generator charged and pulsed with energy causing the hair to stand out slightly one Mark's arms. In the runner hideout Jim looked at Pete and saw right through his friend. He wavered slightly and then coalesced back into solid form than faded out again and then back this time he looked different, like Pete but not Pete. Than the transformation occurred again and Pete looked like himself. What just happened Pete? I don't know , I felt funny, like I was falling. You faded out and even disappeared. Pete gathered his senses for a bit. I wonder if what ever happened is happening again? Let's hope so. Two sand men approached from out of the smoke as the robots went about repairing the damage. They worked so fast you could hardly see them move. Did you get any ? Hay Peter you don't look so good. I'm fine said Pete. Just a little shaken. Well I'm not surprised said the other sandman. Let's go get some lunch it's been a tough morning. Pete and Jim followed the sandmen to the maze car terminal not wanting to arouse suspicion.

They ended up in a large restaurant with every kind of dish imaginable. The booth they sat in was covered with something like purple velvet and softly lit. One of the sandmen ordered live sea urchins which were served moving abut on a plate as he dispatched them one by one and sucked out the contents. Pete looked a little sick but was able to eat his funny looking beef steak. It was served in a rectangular frame which he had to cut it out of. It looked as if it had actually been grown inside the frame which made Pete wonder. None the less, the quality was extremely good and the flavor the best he had ever had it was the perfect steak if you could get past the frame thing. The other sandman sucked raw oysters and drank a huge glass or bizarre looking vegetable juice that seemed to be a mix of fruit and green vegetables. Jim watched him drink it and smack his lips The greenish stuff looked any- thing but appetizing. The Urchin eater (Preston 12) was then bought a plate of what had to be eyeballs from a goat or something only growing on some kind of a series of tubes like blood vessels . Pete looked away as he burned his fingers on one trying to extract it. Preston swore and blew on the eyeballs. Can't I get eyes that aren't hot as hell? The waiter looked nervously from across the room. So how many runners did you cook the gut's out of he snickered. Well… it had to be 4 or 5 at least don't you think James? Ya , at least that many , maybe more. The Juice drinker (Jonathan 6) sucked another oyster and looked approvingly. I tell you those people, don't they want to be young again? To have their childhood all over? I can't wait to renew. In only 3 years I'll be a little baby all over again. I can hardly remember my childhood. Jim contemplated this. He wondered what it would be like to renew, to have no troubles again, to play with toys and let someone else worry. Then the harsh reality came home to him, these people were brain washed, there was no renewal no second childhood. He had watched the videos on the followers little screen. People floating up to touch the white light being blasted to atoms one by one, if they had to stay here, he would run.

They left the restaurant wondering exactly what they had eaten ,the memories of their companions meals fresh in their minds Jim's stomach seemed to quiver a little at the thought of the eyeballs.

They got another note on the followers A runner this time in the area of the Love Shop. Jim wondered what that was and got out the follower with it's little map screen. They arrived wondering what to do about this runner, they couldn't kill them they might both have to run soon themselves, The Love Shop loomed ahead and they approached it cautiously. As they entered everything seemed to slow down and they felt very relaxed, Around them were nude people everywhere engaged in every kind of perversion they had ever heard of, groups of men and women groups of men groups of women. They had busted a lot of prostitutes and seen some things but this depravity was beyond that and the worst of all was it was publicly sanctioned. It did not set with their 1950's boy scout upbringing at all and they both wanted to start handcuffing everyone in the place. Now the participants were closing in on them, getting closer. Pete motioned to Jim across the room to clear out and Jim moved in slow motion toward his partner. Eating eyeballs, sex shops, what had humanity turned into? Nuclear war wrought all sorts of devastation besides just the obvious death and disease. They exited the place just as a woman was clawing at Jim trying to drag him back inside. Sheesh, he dusted off his uniform, and looked at Pete, Pete was wide eyed with disgust and disbelief Jim didn't react as strongly and felt a little guilty for not being as morally outraged as his partner. That's the sickest thing I have ever seen Jim just shook his head. Up ahead a young man stopped quickly, looked at them and darted off down an alley. That has to be our runner. We better make a show of this Jim. They took off after the man and were reminded of foot chases back in LA the man moved with the speed of desperation, after all, he wasn't going to prison, he was going to die, die from a giant hole seared into his flesh they chased him, always giving him a little slack to outrun them. It worked and soon he ran down a corridor and disappeared. I wonder where he went to Pete? They checked their trackers and the tones lead them to the runners position. They must be locked into the crystal in his palm. Suddenly the trace disappeared. Barbra 2 and Paul 9 , runner terminated, send for cleanup. They approached the dead runner as Barbara leaned over him. She pulled a charm off a necklace around his neck and tossed it to Jim, good chase, here's a souvenir. Jim caught the little charm and Egyptian ankh. You guys are slow today you usually terminate quicker than any one

You have a reputation to maintain. The other sand man looked at them confused as if he couldn't believe they hadn't shot the runner themselves. We can't just keep letting them go like that we have to do something to get out our selves. The shift came to an end and the sandmen were debriefed. They approached the little dropdown table/booth and placed the belongings of terminated runners on it one by one. Jim and then Pete approached and identified but had nothing to drop on the table. Peter 8 approach and identify the thinker was calling him to a screen across the room. He sat down and placed his palm on the device. Jim waited outside as Pete exited the building. We have to get out of hear Jim that computer thing is suspicious all ready. It's got inhuman intelligence and sees patterns to everything. There's just no way to fool it.

They met up at Pete's apartment to discuss what to do. It's just beyond me Reed I don't understand any of this. They paced about a bit trying to think when the room went black. Both had the sensation of falling briefly . When the light came back they were in a different room. A bank of lights flashed green along one wall and two people in grey uniforms looked up surprised. Sandmen? What are you doing here? Are you new guards? No, were not guards, what is that? This is the brain port it's how we intend to cross to the other universes. You just step through.

Veronica 3 interrupted. Do you have clearance to be here? "Ms" Pete said," It's been a long hard day and too complicated to explain, but me and my partner don't belong here, If that thing can get us back where we do belong I aim to try it." Now, you can both stand out of the way or I'm gonna blast ya, with this. Pete held up the blaster and he and Jim moved toward the large opening as it began to change color. They took a few steps toward the device and were immediately pulled off their feet and flew through mid air toward the opening.

Pete and Jim were falling, not falling down or up or sideways just falling it seemed. They felt the ground under their feet and the familiar site of Pete's apartment came into view. Jean was reading a magazine in a chair at the other end of the room and looked up startled. Wha… Pete? Jim? What are you doing here. What are you wearing? "It's a lot of explaining Jean" said Jim. "The truth is, we don't know where we were Jean" said Pete. Jim sat down on the couch and started to explain, he showed Jean the cristal in his palm and told about the sand men. Pete handed Jean his blaster. Take a look at that thing, you wouldn't believe what it'll do to a wall. This is all so strange. Jean held Jims hand and stared at the strange thing there in his palm, it had now turned white.


End file.
